ThPA S.A. is in collaboration with the Supply Systems Management department of the International Hellenic University, for the project IoC – Internet of Containers.

The action “Cooperation and networking actions between research organizations, educational institutions and companies in priority areas of the Strategic Smart Specialization Plan of the Region”, is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the Operational Program “Central Macedonia”, 2014-2020. It is part of Axis 01 and in particular, contributes to the Specific Objective 1b1: “Promotion of investments for the development of products and services in the priority areas of the Smart Specialization Strategy (RIS3)”.

The main goal of the project is the application of technological solutions of the Internet of Things, in real container handling procedures at port terminals. The project includes the identification, modeling and documentation of container management procedures, in order to achieve “Intelligent Visibility” by monitoring disruption events throughout the critical path of a container trip and mitigate, as well as optimize, strategies that can be deployed, using Operations time as the most relevant weighted factor during the whole process.

The results of the project are expected to enhance the safe and effective monitoring and management of containers and the reliable estimation of lay time in the port area.

ThPA S.A. is one of the partners of POSEIDON project, whose overall goal is to demonstrate the use of synthetic methanol (e-methanol) for the decarbonization of the shipping sector. The project will prepare the implementation of local value chains based on e-methanol as fuel for shipping in the ports of Valencia, Spain and Thessaloniki, Greece, which will be achieved by connecting local stakeholders into a Community of Practice and collecting their requirements and insight.

Furthermore, in the framework of the project, a performant power-to-e-methanol demonstration plant will be built, based on a novel concept. This plant will be tested in relevant operational environments, while the produced e-methanol will be used in 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines to evaluate and verify the fuel quality and compatibility with Vessel’s engines.

In line with the mission of ThPA S.A., detailed technical, economic, environmental, and social assessments will be carried out for the Port of Thessaloniki, in order to quantify the economic value created under different scenarios and to identify potential obstacles and optimisation opportunities. To pave the way for market uptake and future deployment of e-methanol both locally and in the EU, roadmaps and a replication tool to assess the feasibility of e-methanol deployment in EU ports will be developed. The new methods, tools and results produced by POSEIDON will be communicated to the scientific and research community and EU citizens, to promote innovation and raise awareness of the benefits of synthetic fuels utilization for clean shipping.

The project consists of 19 partners from 7 European countries: European Institute for Energy Research – EIFER (coordinator), EDF, KIT, RINA, Fundación Valenciaport, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, ICODOS, Fincantieri, Isotta Fraschini Motori – IFM, Winterthur Gas & Diesel – WinGD, Steinbeis Innovation GmbH, Global Omnium, ThPA S.A. – Port of Thessaloniki, CERTH, CNR-STEMS, Swedish Maritime Administration, Inventors, CAO Hellas, and AVEBIOM.

POSEIDON project is co-funded by EU Horizon Europe, the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027), with nearly € 9,7 million.

ThPA S.A. is one of the partners of HECTOR project, which aims to create an holistic approach for the protection of tourism infrastructure throughout Europe, that will include actions deriving from the cooperation between the private and public sector (SOPs, recommendations, guidelines, tools, management protocols and good practices at all levels of safety, security); thus, merging the elements of specific experience and expertise from several stakeholders (LEAs, municipalities, academia, tourism operators, etc.), with both the strategic priorities of the EU regarding the protection of public spaces, and the EU developed tools, methods and recommendations in this area.

In the framework of the project, security challenges and related weaknesses on specific tourist sites will be identified, utilizing EU tools and methodologies, while Large Scale Exercises will take place, to validate the results. Raising awareness of local communities and tourism industry practitioners in security related activities is a cornerstone for HECTOR, which will be achieved via common training curricula for Joint Training Programmes for touristic sites and events, utilizing modern methodology. HECTOR’s ultimate goal is to develop a comprehensive Security Model Plan for Touristic Sites that will incorporate both the existing EU established methods and developments, and those raised during the endeavors of the project.

The project consists of 18 partners from 5 European countries: Hellenic Police, Center for Security Studies (KEMEA), Municipality of Mykonos, Major Development Agency Thessaloniki S.A., Athens Development and Destination Management Agency, Jewish Community of Thessaloniki, Louis Hotels Royal Apollonia, Athens International Airport S.A., Cyprus Police – Nicosia Cyprus, FEG – European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations, Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities, University of West Attica, ThPA S.A. – Port of Thessaloniki, Police nationale, Brink’s Hellas S.A., Polish Police (KPG), Limassol Marina, Hertz – Autohellas Tourist and Trading Societe Anonyme.

HECTOR project is co-funded by European Commission’s Internal Security Fund, the Framework Programme for European Security Agenda, with nearly € 1,9 million.